Doris Duke and Princess Irene Galitzine

This weekend I was catching up with one of my favorite blogs, Little Augury, and I saw a post P.Gaye Tapp had done on Doris Duke's Shangri La.  Doris Duke was, of course, the immensely wealthy tobacco heiress and led a very public life, married and divorced the famously well endowed playboy Porfirio Rubirosa, had a stunning collection of jewelry, like these beauties:

I tried on the bracelets below when they were at auction at Christies in 2004.  They were very small and I was told they hardly fit anyone - they fit me, so I thought it was destiny that they should be mine, alas no : (

What is less known about Doris Duke is her philanthropy and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation    she established which supports the performing arts, environmental conservation, amongst other worthy causes and oversees three of Doris Duke's former homes: Duke Farms in Hillsborough, New Jersey, Rough Point in Newport, Rhode Island and Shangri La in Honolulu, Hawaii.

How amazing is this master bathroom at Shangri La?  I spend a lot of time in my bathroom and would be tempted to spend even more if my bathroom looked like this...

anyhoo, as I was saying, I was catching up with Little Augury and I saw L.A. had a photograph of this outfit in color - which I had never seen before - and it struck me like a coup de foudre...

What you can not see is that it is a leopard print dress with a wavy trim the color of Indian spices - and worn with an incredible caplet.  DD wore this at Shangri La in 1939.  It looks like a cotton and I would love to have this dress.  I have been searching high (Bergdorf Goodman) and low (Zara) for a dress like this.  It is going to be a long hot summer and I don't understand but designers do not seem to make summer dresses (!)

I was trying to see if I could find out who the designer of the dress but unfortunately with no luck.  I did happen to come across another wonderful outfit that had belonged to Doris Duke by the Italian designer, Princess Irene Galitzine

and it looked familiar because I have the same top at RARE vintage!

1960s Princess Irene Galitzine silk tunic with turquoise and citron beaded fringe.
 Available for purchase at RARE vintage.

love, kisses and a little bit of vintage shangri la, Juliana